Vatican Radio REPORT – On the final working day of the
Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelisation as the Father’s presented him with
the list of 38 Propositions, fruit of three weeks of intense work, Pope Benedict
XVI took the floor to address all those who had taken part, to tell them that
their testimonies proved that the Church is alive and is growing, despite often
contrary winds. Emer McCarthy reports:

Below a Vatican Radio
translation of the Holy Father’s words

Dear Brothers and
Sisters,

before thanking you on my part, I would like to make an
announcement.In the context of the reflections of the Synod of Bishops, "The
New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith," and at the end
of a process of reflection on the themes of seminaries and Catechesis, I am
pleased to announce that I have decided, after further reflection and prayer to
transfer jurisdiction over Seminaries from the Congregation for Catholic
Education, to the Congregation for the Clergy and competence of Catechesis from
the Congregation for the Clergy, to the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New
Evangelization.

The relative documents will be forthcoming in the form of
an Apostolic Letter Motu Proprio to identify the fields and their faculties. Let
us pray to the Lord to accompany the three Dicasteries of the Roman Curia in
this important mission, with the collaboration of the entire Church.

I
would also like to express my cordial greetings to the new Cardinals. With this
little Consistory I wanted to complete the Consistory of February, in the
context of the new evangelization, with a gesture of the universality of the
Church, showing that the Church is the Church of all peoples, she speaks in all
languages, she is always a Church of Pentecost; not the Church of one continent,
but a universal Church. This was precisely my intention, to express this in this
context, this universality of the Church, which is also the beautiful expression
of this Synod. For me it was really uplifting, comforting and encouraging to see
here a reflection of the universal Church with its suffering, threats, dangers
and joys, experiences of the Lord's presence, even in difficult
situations.

We heard how the Church today lives and grows. I think, for
example, of what we were told about Cambodia, where the Church, the faith has
been born again, or even of Norway, and many others. We see how, even today,
where we least expect it, the Lord is present and powerful and the Lord also
operates through our work and our reflections.

Even though the Church
feels contrary winds, above all it feels the wind of the Holy Spirit that helps
us, shows us the right way, and so, with renewed enthusiasm, I think, we are on
that path and we thank the Lord for gifting us this truly Catholic
encounter.

I Thank you all: the Synod Fathers, the Auditors, with the
often very moving testimonies, the Experts, the fraternal delegates who have
helped us, and we know that we all want to proclaim Christ and his Gospel and
fight, in this difficult time, for the presence of Christ's truth and his
proclamation.

I would like to especially thank our Presidents who have
guided us gently and firmly, the Realtors who have worked day and night. I
always think it goes somewhat against natural law to work at night, but if they
do so willingly they deserve our thanks and we should be grateful, and of
course, our Secretary General, firm and full of ideas.

Now these
Propositiones are a testament, a gift given to me for us, to process
everything into a document that comes from life and should generate life. We
hope and pray for this, but in any case, we forge ahead with the Lord's help.
Thank you all. Many will see each other again in November – at the Consistory.
Thank you.STATEMENT ON DIALOGUE WITH
SSPXVatican Radio) Below, please find the full text of the
statement from the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei" regarding the ongoing
dialogue with the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X:

The
Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei” takes this occasion to announce that, in
its most recent official communication (6 September 2012), the Priestly
Fraternity of St. Pius X has indicated that additional time for reflection and
study is needed on their part as they prepare their response to the Holy See’s
latest initiatives. The current stage in the ongoing discussions between the
Holy See and the Priestly Fraternity follows three years of doctrinal and
theological dialogues during which a joint commission met eight times to study
and discuss, among other matters, some disputed issues in the interpretation of
certain documents of Vatican Council II. Once these doctrinal dialogues were
concluded, it became possible to proceed to a phase of discussion more directly
focused on the greatly desired reconciliation of the Priestly Fraternity of St.
Pius X with the See of Peter. Other critical steps in this positive process of
gradual reintegration had already been taken by the Holy See in 2007 with the
extension of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite to the Universal Church by
the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum and in 2009 with the lifting of the
excommunications. Just a few months ago, a culminating point along this
difficult path was reached when, on 13 June 2012, the Pontifical Commission
presented to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X a doctrinal declaration
together with a proposal for the canonical normalization of its status within
the Catholic Church. At the present time, the Holy See is awaiting the official
response of the superiors of the Priestly Fraternity to these two documents.
After thirty years of separation, it is understandable that time is needed to
absorb the significance of these recent developments. As Our Holy Father Pope
Benedict XVI seeks to foster and preserve the unity of the Church by realizing
the long hoped-for reconciliation of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X with
the See of Peter – a dramatic manifestation of the munus Petrinum in action –
patience, serenity, perseverance and trust are needed.SHARED FROM RADIO VATICANA

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit. Amen.

O glorious apostle, SAINT JUDE
THADDEUS, true relative of Jesus and Mary, I salute you through the most Sacred
Heart of Jesus! Through this Heart I praise and thank God for all the graces He
has bestowed upon you. Humbly prostrate before you, I implore you through this
Heart to look down upon me with compassion. Oh, despise not my poor prayer; let
not my trust be confounded! To you God has granted the privilege of aiding
mankind in the most desperate cases. Oh, come to my aid that I may praise the
mercies of God! All my life I will be grateful to you and will be your faithful
client until I can thank you in heaven. Amen.

Priest: "Blessed Apostle,
with confidence we invoke you!"People:"Blessed
Apostle, with confidence we invoke you!"Priest:
"St. Jude, help of the hopeless, aid me in my
distress."People: "St. Jude, help of the hopeless,
aid me in my distress."

PRAY FOR US that we before
death may expiate all our sins by sincere repentance and the worthy reception of
the holy Sacraments.

Pray for us that we may appease
the Divine Justice and obtain a favorable judgment.

Pray for us that we may be
admitted into the company of the blessed to rejoice in the presence of our God
forever.

The following prayer to be
recited by both priest and people.

Saint Jude, glorious apostle,
faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the name of the traitor has caused you to
be forgotten by many. But the Church honors and invokes you universally as the
patron of difficult and desperate cases. Pray for me who am so miserable. Make
use, I implore you, of that particular privilege accorded to you to bring
visible and speedy help where help was almost despaired of. Come to my
assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolation and help of
heaven in all my necessities, tribulations and sufferings, particularly —
(here make your request) — and that I may bless God with you and all
the elect throughout all eternity.

I promise you, O blessed JUDE,
to be ever mindful of this great favor, and I will never cease to honor you as
my special and powerful patron and do all in my power to encourage devotion to
you. Amen.

Saint Jude, pray for us and for
all who honor you and invoke your aid.

About 170 Chinese Catholics from 27 cities around
the globe will discuss their lay ministries and establish a world network during
a six-day assembly beginning tomorrow.The Hong Kong diocese has organized
the Lay Ministries Plenary Assembly to conclude its Years of the Laity (2011 and
2012).The gathering will allow participants to share the experiences and
practices of their lay ministries and review how Hong Kong diocese implements a
2001 diocesan synod resolution on lay ministries.Father Dominic Chan
Chi-ming, vicar-general of Hong Kong, said recently that there were at least
three outcomes that they expect to achieve: to enhance understanding of lay
ministries, to deepen friendships between Chinese Catholics around the world and
to contribute to the evangelization work of the Church.Having
technologically advanced telecommunications and being a transportation hub makes
Hong Kong an ideal place to host such an assembly, Fr. Chan said, adding that
the diocese has a lot to share.“In the past three decades, development of
local lay ministries has put emphasis on liturgy. In fact, our Catholics also
make witnesses in society. We have 13 years of service in prison visits and
seven years in pastoral care in hospitals and for the bereaved,” he
said.Eleven diocesan committees and organizations as well as 20 out of 51
parishes are involved in staging the assembly that runs from October 27 to
November 1.No bishop will be at the lay-led assembly and only five percent
of participants are priests, deacons and pastoral sisters, according to Fr.
Chan.To enhance communication among participants, Mandarin Chinese will be
used for the first time in a large-scale Church meeting in Hong Kong instead of
Cantonese which is the local dialect.SHARED FROM UCAN NEWS

ELDORET, October 23,
2012 (CISA) –The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government Prof.
Karega Mutahi has urged voters countrywide to elect quality leaders in the
coming General Election irrespective of their wealth status noting that
previously only candidates who were wealthy were voted in a trend that should
now come to an end.

“Any person can be elected a leader but we need
quality leaders. You should not follow ‘political waves’ but rather seek
quality. Forget about the three-piece-suit mode of election for with devolution
it will no longer be tenable” he said.

Speaking on the election of county
governors he said that “The Governor is overall in devolution. He or she cannot
be elected by a wave if he cannot argue his/her case”He urged citizens to
play their part in supporting county governments by paying tax advising that
‘there is no right without responsibility. It cannot be haki yetu without wajibu
wetu’. (Swahili for our rights without our responsibilities)Prof. Mutahi
noted that Devolution was greatly misunderstood by many and his ministry was out
to rectify this.

“The ministry is spearheading a civic education on
Devolution and Public Finance Management. This is aimed at equipping officers
with the knowledge of new structures and systems in devolved governments. Phase
one trained five officers per county who are being used to train 40 others in
their respective counties who will in turn conduct training in all
counties”

He was speaking during a national workshop at Sirikwa Hotel
Eldoret, on “Devolution: The Promise of 2013 Elections during the Democratic
Governance civil society Week. The Democratic Governance civil society Week is
an initiative of Amkeni Wakenya, a UNDP led facility set up to promote
democratic governance in Kenya.

Discussions centered on how best the
citizens can prepare to usher in the County Governments as we approach the 2013
General Elections.While opening the conference Mr Alfredo Teixiera, Deputy
Country Director, Programmes UNDP urged the civil society to not only remain
alert but be neutral and remain watchful. He also urged them to help make the
promise of devolution a reality in Kenya.

Eldoret towns and its environs
was one of the hot spots in the country during the infamous Post Election
Violence witnessed after the 2007 General Elections.The conference runs from
October 22 to October 26, 2012.SHARED FROM CISA NEWS

(IMAGE SOURCE: GOOGLE ) SSPX OFFICIAL
RELEASECommuniqué of the General House of the
Society of Saint Pius X (October 24, 2012)

26-10-2012Bishop Richard
Williamson, having distanced himself from the management* and the government of
the SSPX for several years, and refusing to show due respect and obedience to
his lawful superiors, was declared excluded from the SSPX by decision of the
Superior General and its Council, on October 4th, 2012. A final
deadline had been granted to him to declare his submission, after which he
announced the publication of an “open letter” asking the Superior General to
resign.

This painful decision has become necessary by concern for the
common good of the Society of Saint Pius X and its good government, according to
what Archbishop Lefebvre denounced: “This is the destruction of authority. How
authority can be exercised if it needs to ask all members to participate in the
exercise of authority? “(Ecône, October 3, 1987)

ST. FRUMENTIUS was yet a child when his uncle, Meropins of Tyre,
took him and his brother Edesius on a voyage to Ethiopia. In the course of their
voyage the vessel touched at a certain port, and the barbarians of that country
put the crew and all the passengers to the sword, except the two children. They
were carried to the king, at Axuma, who, charmed with the wit and sprightliness
of the two boys, took special care of their education; and, not long after made
Edesius his cup-bearer, and Frumentius, who was the elder, his treasurer and
secretary of state; on his death-bed he thanked them for their services, and in
recompense gave them their liberty. After his death the queen begged them to
remain a court, and assist her in the government of the state until the young
king carne of age. Edesius went back to Tyre, but St. Athanasius ordained
Frumentius Bishop of the Ethiopians, and vested with this sacred character he
gained great numbers to the Faith, and continued to feed and defend his flock
until it pleased the Supreme Pastor to recompense his fidelity and
labors.SOURCE http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/F/stfrumentius.asp

(IMAGE SOURCE: GOOGLE) On October 25 actor
Christian Bale, of Batman fame, presented the blind Chinese activist Chen
Guangcheng with an award at the annual gala of Human Rights First. Bale tried to
visit Chen in 2011, while he was in China under house arrest. Bale was
prevented and said, “What I really wanted to do was shake the man’s hand and say
‘thank you,’ and tell him what an inspiration he is.” Chen escaped to the
USA in May 2012. Chen was trying to stop forced abortions on women in China.
“He [Chen] had exposed a program of forced abortion and sterilization in
Shandong. A program of forced abortion means that women are being dragged from
their homes against their will. They are being forced to have abortions,
sometimes late-term -- imagine that -- with some women reportedly dying in the
process. Now this is true horror. And in this insane world, this man, Chen, who
was helping these women -- who was living by some of the most simple, brave and
universally admired values – values that we teach our children every day, and
helping our fellow man – for this, this man was imprisoned and beaten for over
four years.” VIDEO SHARED FROM YOUTUBE

ARCHDIOCESE OF CANBERRA - GOULBURN REPORT

A
long-time parish priest of Moruya, Fr Bill Keating, has died. He was 87.Fr
Keating was ordained in 1951 for the Order of Friars Minor by Archbishop Daniel
Mannix in Melbourne.He was accepted into the Archdiocese of Canberra and
Goulburn in 1959 and served at Cobargo, Young, Grenfell, Bega, Boorowa, Braddon,
Fairbairn RAAF chaplaincy, Adaminaby, Narooma, Taralga and Moruya before
retiring to his home in Bermagui in 2000. He was parish priest of Moruya from
1986 until his retirement.The funeral Mass for Fr Keating will be celebrated
at Sacred Heart Church, Moruya, on Monday. He will be buried at Moruya cemetery.